Firebox.com
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Firebox.com homepage | |
| Web address | http://www.firebox.com/ |
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| Slogan | "Shop for the Unusual." |
| Commercial | Yes |
Type of site | Online Retailer |
| Registration | Optional |
| Available in | English |
| Owners | Michael Smith and Tom Boardman |
| Created by | Michael Smith and Tom Boardman |
| Launched | June 1998 |
| Revenue | £14.4m in 2010[1] |
Alexa rank |
 22,272 (September 2015)[2] |
| Current status | Online |
Firebox.com is an electronic commerce based in London, England, that was created in 1998 as hotbox.co.uk, an internet retailer founded by university friends Michael Acton Smith and Tom Boardman.[3] Their inventory covers many different products from baby toys to high-tech gadgets.
History
Two friends in college, Michael Acton Smith and Tom Boardman decided that they had a good idea for a new drinking game – the Shot Glass Chess Set. The idea prompted them to create a completely online company where people could purchase this and other obscure but “cool” products. The idea was to create a site where the public could meet with original and interesting products. They began in Cardiff, Wales as hotbox.co.uk, then in 1999 moved to London and relaunched as Firebox.com [4] Recently Firebox.com launched a US site and has set up a US-based distribution center.
Products
- Gifts
- Gadgets
- Toys
- Games
- Firetots
- Lifestyle
- Design
- Technology
- Geek
- Eco-friendly
- Retro
- Experiences
- WTF - What the firebox
Most of the products sold on Firebox.com are skewed towards people who are into obscure or abstract items that are unique and hard to come by otherwise.[5] The site states:"We're very selective though - so only the most original, most exciting products get picked."[6]